Mike Flanagan’s ‘Carrie’ Completely Changes the Stephen King Classic With Modern Twist [Exclusive]

Mike Flanagan has a knack for turning terror into triumph through his unmatched storytelling abilities and a troupe of actors that fans have lovingly dubbed the Flanafam. Chances are, if you’ve seen a Flanagan project — whether it be feature-length like Hush or Doctor Sleep or episodic like The Haunting of Hill House or The Fall of the House of Usher — you’ve noticed the director loves a good collaboration. Names like Rahul Kohli, Samantha Sloyan, and his real-life wife Kate Siegel often dot the call sheet, with the family growing a bit bigger through every production he takes on. Soon, the horror maestro will bring Stephen King’s Carrie back to television with his new series from Prime Video. And with it, a handful of fresh faces will officially join the Flanafam.

One of those newcomers is Boogie Nights and Gunslingers star Heather Graham, whose role in Carrie is currently being kept under wraps. But, during a chat with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff in support of her upcoming film They Will Kill You, Graham was happy to open up about what her first experience on a Flanagan-led set was like. “Mike Flanagan's one of those people where you're like, he's so talented, but then he's also such a great guy,” Graham said. “Everyone who works with him obsessively loves him. He's amazing.”

The Midnight Mass helmer has previously teased that his version of Carrie will present a more modern take on the book that has already received numerous on-screen adaptations, including the classic Brian De Palma film that saw Sissy Spacek in the titular role as the outsider with telekinetic powers. While many might think there’s no more life left in the story, Graham’s plot tease reinvigorated us with plenty of hope. “I have seen the first three episodes, and they’re great,” she said, adding, “They bring in an aspect of social media bullying and guns in school, so they try to modernize it, and I do feel like he captures the essence of what makes Carrie great.”

What Makes the Flanafam One of a Kind?

Flanagan’s connection to his collaborators isn’t an isolated one. Many directors have their favorites — Martin Scorsese has Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Nolan has Cillian Murphy, and so on. So, what made the Carrie set a different experience from those Graham has had before? For starters, “He is kind,” she said of the director, solidifying what many of us have always known in our hearts was true. Walking Nemiroff through the final days of filming, she added:

“At the end of the shoot, there were all these young people who had never actually worked that much before, and everyone was crying, even the older actors. They were like, ‘This was such a really great energy!’ I don't know, he just creates a vibe of love. Even though he's doing these dark stories, everyone is fully like a love vibe.”

Carrie has yet to set a release date on Prime Video, but stay tuned to Collider for more updates. They Will Kill You celebrates its cinematic release on March 27.